Oxfam Canada Welcomes Funding for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights from Government of Canada on International Women’s Day

Women’s Day In response to Prime Minister Trudeau and International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau’s announcement today of $650 million over three years towards sexual and reproductive health and rights, Oxfam Canada Executive Director, Julie Delahanty, said:

“Today’s announcement comes at a critical moment. We are seeing the clawing back of hard-won women‘s rights in many countries around the world. On International Women’s Day, we applaud progressive governments like Canada for stepping up and showing their commitment to women’s rights.

“This important funding will not only help millions of women and girls in developing countries lead healthier lives, it will also give women and girls a voice, a choice and the keys to a better future.”

Today’s announcement of 650 million over three years towards sexual and reproductive health and rights comes on the heels of Canada’s previous $20 million pledge at the She Decides conference in Brussels a week ago. The conference brought together heads of state from around the world to address the funding gaps created by President Trump’s reinstatement of the Global Gag Rule.

Delahanty, who was at the conference in Brussels as part of the Canadian delegation, added: “Today’s announcement builds on Canada’s previous pledge in Brussels, and we look forward to seeing future announcements. In particular, we would like to see Canada scale up support for the essential work of frontline women’s rights organizations who are working hard to defend and advance the rights of women and girls under extremely challenging circumstances.”

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